


i'd burn it down, i'd light it up for you

by fraybanes



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Gifts, M/M, The Setting? The Timeline? IDK THEM, also katara and zuko are besties (allegedly), cuteness, it's after sozin's comet though, literally the setting is so vague i'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraybanes/pseuds/fraybanes
Summary: Zuko is being distant. Sokka is worried, even though he shouldn't be.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 185





	i'd burn it down, i'd light it up for you

**Author's Note:**

> for allisa! they came up with 90% of this i just did the typing follow them @sapphicdaisyj on twitter (idk how to link here someone teach me)
> 
> inspired by that line from Lilo & Stitch where Lilo tells David that Nani likes his butt and fancy hair and he goes "she thinks it's fancy 🥺?"
> 
> also my first time writing Zukka! i hope to write them more (and better) soon! it's up to you whether you imagine Suki's living her best single life, dating someone else, or in this relationship because Sokka Has Two Hands And Sukka Is The Superior Canon Ship
> 
> (title is from Risk It All by The Vamps, and definitely way too dramatic for this fic)

By the fifth time Sokka sighs dramatically after draping himself by the fountain where Katara’s  _ trying  _ to  _ work _ , she finally gives in.

“What?!” she snaps. The water she was trying to bend forms into a jagged, threatening shape before spilling back into the pool unceremoniously.

Sokka rolls onto his side, holding himself up by his elbow and pouting. “Has Zuko said anything to you recently?”

“No. Why?”

“I think he’s mad at me,” Sokka says. “He’s been distant lately. We were supposed to go for a walk last night, but he cancelled on me last minute. _And_ I passed him earlier, and he didn't even stop to kiss my cheek or anything. He _always_ kisses my cheek.”

“I don’t know, it’s Zuko,” Katara says. “You know how he can get sometimes.” Nevertheless, she bends down to squeeze Sokka’s arm in a gesture of comfort. “Talk to him. I’m sure it’s all just a misunderstanding.”

“What’s just a misunderstanding?” Aang asks, and Katara looks up to see him and Toph approaching with armfuls of colourful fruits. They join the siblings around the fountain.

“Sokka and Zuko’s blossoming romance,” Katara says with a roll of her eyes. “Sokka’s freaking out because-”

“I think Zuko hates me and wants to break up with me and never see me again,” Sokka interrupts miserably.

“Nah, that can’t be right,” Aang says. “I know for a fact he likes your butt and fancy hair.”

Sokka sits up, touching his hairline gingerly with a small, bashful smile. “He thinks it’s fancy?”

“Hang on…” Katara turns to Aang with a frown. “How do  _ you  _ know that? Did he tell you something? What else is he talking to you about but not telling me?”

“Um,” Aang says, shifting away from the dangerous jealousy he feels coming off her. His eyes drift to Toph, who’s lying on her back and eating without a care in the world. And then Katara is stuck somewhere between relief that no one has taken her place as Zuko’s number one confidant, and that almost maternal feeling she gets whenever Toph does something she shouldn’t have.

“What did you do?”

Toph shrugs. “His diary was just lying there!” she says. “So I just, you know, made Aang read it for me.”

“Unbelievable!” Katara cries. “Toph, that is a huge invasion of privacy!” She turns to Aang. “Did he write anything about me?”

“We only read the one entry,” Aang says. “Toph was laughing too hard after that and I felt too guilty. But the good news is you don’t need to worry, Sokka! He really likes you!” Then his eyes go wide and he shoves nearly the whole fruit in his mouth to avoid having to speak because at that very moment, he notices Zuko climbing up the steps towards them.

“Hey,” Zuko greets, immediately sitting down next to Sokka and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “What are you guys talking about?”

Four different answers mingle together, making Zuko cock an eyebrow and turn to Sokka questioningly.

“Uh, don’t worry about it,” Sokka says awkwardly. “How are  _ you _ doing today?”

“Fine? We saw each other, like, ten minutes ago.”

“Right.”

Zuko looks around at everyone else’s awkward smiles and then puts an arm around Sokka. “Can I steal you for a second? If you’re not busy?”

Sokka perks up. “Sure!”

“Keep him,” Katara mutters as the two of them get up to leave.

Once they’re out of sight and earshot of the others, Zuko tentatively reaches for Sokka’s hand, entwining their fingers together. Sokka can barely hold back his sigh of relief. He could chalk the kiss up to habit, but in his experience, people don’t hold your hand like that when they want to break up with you.

“I, um, got you something,” Zuko says, leading them down a path Sokka isn’t as used to as the others. “I wanted to show it to you last night, but it wasn’t ready then.”

“Okay,” Sokka says. “Wait, is that why you bailed on our walk last night?”

Zuko grimaces. “I didn’t  _ bail _ ,” he grumbles. “I just asked to reschedule.”

“It’s fine.” Sokka gives his hand a reassuring squeeze to drive the point home. “No hard feelings, stuff happens. Now, where’s my gift?”

Zuko chuckles and leads him to a clearing in the woods. “Okay,” he says, positioning Sokka in the middle of the clearing. “Stand there. Close your eyes.”

“Um,” Sokka says.

“Please?”

Sokka closes his eyes. A few seconds pass. Sokka hears Zuko walking, then some rustling, some shuffling, and then Zuko taking a deep, steadying breath.

“Okay,” Zuko says nervously. “Open your eyes.”

Sokka does, and it takes his eyes a second to focus, then another few seconds to register what he’s seeing. All the while, Zuko stands stiff and straight, his arms outstretched, balancing his gift to Sokka on his palms. He looks about ready to pass out.

“Oh…my…god…” Sokka whispers. And then, unable to help himself, he cries, “SPACE SWORD!”

He grabs the sword from Zuko’s hands and holds it to his chest, then twirls it around, then hugs it tight again, careful not to cut himself. It’s smaller than the one he made with Master Piandao, but it’s undoubtedly the same material. It’s  _ his sword _ . His  _ actual sword _ that he’d lost in the final battle against the Firelord.

Sokka throws his arms around Zuko and pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Zuko hugs him back, seemingly not minding the fact that Sokka is squeezing the life out of him. Sokka kisses his cheek before they pull apart.

“But- how?”

“The space…earth…thing survived the crash,” Zuko explains. “Well, most of it did. I gathered as much as I could and had this made for you. I don’t know how helpful it will be in an actual fight, but I know it meant a lot to you. I know it’s not the same, but…” He shrugs, looking away, cheeks turning pink. “I thought you’d like it.”

“I  _ love  _ it!” Sokka assures him. “You’re the best boyfriend  _ ever _ !” He goes in for another hug, but then stops. “I'm guessing this is why you've been acting kinda weird lately?”

“I was worried you wouldn’t like it. Or that it would get lost or stolen on the way here or…” He sighs, pushing his hair back with one hand and pointing at the sword in Sokka’s hand with the other. “You can make changes to it if you want. I know you made the other one yourself.”

Sokka grabs his shoulder and kisses him. “It’s perfect,” he whispers, nudging Zuko’s nose with his. “Let’s go show the others.”

“Sounds good.” Zuko, far less nervous and awkward now that he’s been assured Sokka liked his gift, grabs his free hand again and they set off back up the path.

“By the way…” Sokka begins, wincing as he remembers. “Aang kinda sorta read your diary.”

“He-  _ WHAT _ ?”

“You really think it’s fancy?”


End file.
